Top French television anchor-man Gilles Bouleau enjoys Christmas getaway in Seychelles
aTP- Arab tourism portal- Seychelles has welcomed another high profile media personality to its shores, this time French television anchor-man Gilles Bouleau of the leading television channel in France TF1.
Mr Bouleau is spending this festive season with his family in the paradise islands of the Seychelles staying at the Beachcomber Sainte Anne Resort & Spa.
A special reception was held last week to welcome this well-known journalist to Seychelles. The cocktail reception held at the resort was attended by the Designated Minister Vincent Meriton, the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St.Ange, French ambassador to Seychelles Lionel Majesté-Larrouy and the principal secretary for tourism Anne Lafortune.
Also gracing the event with their presence were the chairperson and chief executive of the Seychelles Media Commission Ibrahim Afif and its secretary Larrey Chetty, as well as representatives from Seychelles Nation and Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation.
Welcoming Mr Bouleau and his family, the general manager of the Beachcomber Sainte Anne Resort & Spa Norbert Couvreur said it is an honour to have such a well-known personality at the establishment.
During the evening, those present had the chance to interact with Mr Bouleau as he shared his experience as a popular and hugely respected television anchor-man with them.
Mr Bouleau has been a news reporter for many years at TF1 before being the television channel’s correspondent in London and Washington.
Last year, Mr Bouleau along with the Radio Europe 1 news programme author and frontman Jean-Pierre Elkabbach had the chance to get an exclusive interview with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in the run-up to his visit to France.
He also interviewed the French head of state President François Hollande, for the first time last year on July 14 and again in November. When he was invited to say a few words to welcome Gilles Bouleau to Seychelles, Minister Alain St.Ange said that it was a real honour for Seychelles to have Mr Gilles Bouleau and his family holiday in Seychelles. "As we say welcome, we want to assure you that what you see is what we are.
We have nothing to hide and we hope that by the time you leave our shores you would join the list of journalists who have become Ambassadors of our islands" Minister St.Ange said before adding that Seychelles was today one of the last holiday destinations with an unblemished safety label. "The safety label we have is more important today than it has ever been, because in the world today more and more countries are falling into the list of destinations with recent troubles and loss of life. Seychelles is truly one tourism destination where everyone immaterial of the colour of your skin, your religious affiliation and your political orientation is welcomed " Minister Alain St.Ange said.
The French ambassador to Seychelles Lionel Majesté-Larrouy also addressed the evening saying that he wanted to reconfirm the statement made by Minister St.Ange and agreed that in this troubled world Seychelles stood out as a unique and safe destination for holiday makers. The French ambassador also made the point that France was and remains the main tourism source market for Seychelles.
Gilles Bouleau of the leading television channel in France TF1 was presented with a coco de mer nut as a souvenir of his first Seychelles visit saying that it would not be his last.